Harry's Blasting Rod

[Rasins]

Harry's blasting rod is described as having runes carved into it.

We know he pumps power into it to shoot fire.  But, does it have some power of it's own, with the runes and all?

[Darkest-Before-Dawn]

More likely the runes allow it to be used as a conduit for magical energy, as opposed to just a pretty, pointy stick. Same for his staff. There's also the investment of energy and emotion into the actual carving which gives it an affinity to Harry and his magic. The runes are attuned to the way Harry views magic, much like Carlos's Olmec theme to his glove in White Night.

[Rasins]

I hear you, but .... Harry's staff has been observed to be stronger than just the wood.  He mentioned once that using it for magic has made it stronger.  I was just wondering if his blasting rod would get something like that too.

[Sterling Rat]

Harry's blasting rod was broken in Blood Rights and there was no mention of it being stronger than a regular stick.

[Mr. Death]

Harry's staff is made of oak -- which is already a very hard, very heavy type of wood. I don't recall it ever being mentioned that the workings make the actual wood physically stronger, but six feet of oak is already pretty darn strong.

If you mean magical power, they both act as foci -- specially made to help Harry shape his magic more effectively and with more strength. On their own, they don't have strength (i.e., someone else without magic couldn't pick them up and blast something), but the power they do have is meant to strengthen Harry's own.

Think of it like this -- if Harry is a handgun, his staff and rod are an attachable stock and laser sight.

[jonas]

I hear you, but .... Harry's staff has been observed to be stronger than just the wood.  He mentioned once that using it for magic has made it stronger.  I was just wondering if his blasting rod would get something like that too.

Technically his staff is stronger when he's directly channeling kinetics with it or otherwise reinforcing it. Blasting rod is all fire I think. The multipurpose nature of the staff gives it that fringe benefit.

[Viktor]

Harry's staff is made of oak -- which is already a very hard, very heavy type of wood. I don't recall it ever being mentioned that the workings make the actual wood physically stronger, but six feet of oak is already pretty darn strong.

It hasn't been mentioned that the /workings/ make the wood physically stronger, but Harry has used his staff + spell (Forzare) to bend metal bars (Fool Moon, p. 175 kindle edition). He also stated later that "Of all my foci, the staff was the most versatile. Meant simply to assist with the redirection of forces I could use to call wind, to bend steel bars, and to channel lightning." (Blood Rites p. 376 kindle edition).

So I think that no, the runes themselves don't give it power, but by channeling power through the Staff, he can make it stronger (see him crushing the "xenomorph" skull in the hallway in Proven Guilty). He probably can't do that with his blasting rod since it's made solely to focus his fire magic in evocation spells.

[groinkick]

This is just my opinion, but here goes.

I believe the runes were a type of way the wizard is able to push his intentions onto the magical tool.  The runes on the blasting rod were Harry's way of making the object understand his will.  It's kind of like when he uses words for spells.  The words themselves don't matter, as long as to the caster they carrying meaning.  I feel the same way about the runes.  He's pouring his focus into them as he carves them so that the magical tool is more efficient at pouring out that specific form of magic.

The staff is an all around good tool, but not great in any one thing while the blasting rod has one very specific purpose.  Harry made those intentions clear when he put the runes in.

[Rasins]

I can buy the argument that his staff is stronger when he is using it, like in FM.  And I can buy that when it's not being used for magical purposes, it's just a hunk of wood.

I wonder if his blasting rod is any more sturdy when he's using it too.

We know he's made several, and that it's not all that strong when not being used.  I'm thinking of when Inari broke it over his head in Blood Rites, but I wonder about when he's using it.

[groinkick]

I can buy the argument that his staff is stronger when he is using it, like in FM.  And I can buy that when it's not being used for magical purposes, it's just a hunk of wood.

I wonder if his blasting rod is any more sturdy when he's using it too.

We know he's made several, and that it's not all that strong when not being used.  I'm thinking of when Inari broke it over his head in Blood Rites, but I wonder about when he's using it.

Belief, will, desire are powerful.  I would not be surprised if Harry's need/will/belief would be enough to make the staff stronger.

[Ananda]

With all this discussion of Dresden’s rod, I’m hoping for a fifty shades book after peace talks now.

[wardenferry419]

Forget that "thy rod and thy staff" stuff; it is my rod or my staff (depending on my level of excitement) that comfort me.

[Rasins]

With all this discussion of Dresden’s rod, I’m hoping for a fifty shades book after peace talks now.

LOL ... if you're interested in that ... you might look up the other Butcher author.  Shannon Butcher.

While I've never read her stuff, as I understand it, those are her kind of books.

Not necessarily BDSM type of stuff, but along those lines.

[Ananda]

LOL ... if you're interested in that ... you might look up the other Butcher author.  Shannon Butcher.

While I've never read her stuff, as I understand it, those are her kind of books.

Not necessarily BDSM type of stuff, but along those lines.

I don’t actually read that type of stuff. I did read Fifty Shades of Grey, though. A friend of mine went on and on about it, so I read it to know what I was missing. It turned out that what I was missing was the most poorly written book I’d ever forced myself to read. There was one line in there that is hilarious, though. It’s a bit sexy, so I’ll put it in spoiler thingie.

(click to show/hide)

Does this mean you’re going to make love to me tonight, Christian?” Holy shit. Did I just say that? His mouth drops open slightly, but he recovers quickly.
“No, Anastasia it doesn’t. Firstly, I don’t make love. I fuck… hard

In this genre, though, the erotic novel, Anne Rice has written some good ones. I haven’t read them since I was 22 or so, but I remember them being well done.

[wardenferry419]

My wife read it; was not impressed.